Revolver



( No Model.)

S. S. HOPKINS.

REVOLVER.

No. 297,801. Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

WITNESSES, INVENTOR,

NITED STATES ATENT FFI REVOLVER.

.EEPIEICIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 297,801, datedApril 29, 1884.

(No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, SAMUEL S. HOPKINS,Of the city of Norwich, county ofNew London, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Revolving Fire-Arms, which improvements are fullyset forth and described in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invent-ion relates particularly to an attachment for revolvingarn1s,by means of which the empty cartridge-shells may be expelled fromthe cylinder after firing, my object being to improve the efficiency ofthe arm without adding materially to its cost.

In most of the so-called cheap grade of revolvers there is no meansprovided for ejecting the empty cartridge-shells, the common methodbeing to withdraw the axial pin of the cylinder, and, havin removed thecylinder from the frame, to punch out the shells with said axial pin.Having thus removed the shells, the cylinder and pin are returned totheir respective places in the frame, and the cylinder is again filledwith loaded shells. Such a method causes an unnecessary waste of time,and frequently the loss of one of the detached parts.

In this invention it is my purpose to combine a convenient form ofshell-ejector with the usual form of axial pin, the whole being soarranged that it may be used without removing the cylinder; yet, when sodesired, it and the cylinder may be removed from the frame without theuse of a screw-driver or other tools.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a revolver containingmy improved ejector. Fig. 2 is a detached perspective View of saidejecting device. Fig. 3 is a view of the same from the rear side, asshown in Fig. 1, exposing to view the retractor-sprin z Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view on line w 00, Fig. 1, illustrating the meanswhich I employ to prevent the extractor-tube from swinging out of itsproper position. Fig.4 is a similar view showing the device applied to arevolver having a round barrel.

A represents the frame, 13 the barrel, and C the cylinder, of arevolver, all being of the usual form. That portion of the pin E whichextends rearward into the frame, and 011 which the cylinder rotates, isalso of the common formthat is to say, it is made of a section of roundwire, and has an annular groove,e,into which a thumb-latch orfriction-stud may enter to lock said pin in its place in the frame. Anyof the several thumb-latches in common use may be used to retain mycombined axial pin and ejector in place.

At or near the forward end of the frame is a laterally extending arm, a,supporting a tube, 0, which, when in place, is in alignment with one ofthe chambers of the cylinder C. In this tube a is a lively spiralspring, (I, and within said spring is the ejector proper, consisting ofa rod or wire, h, having a thumbpiece or handle, 2', located immediatelyunder the barrel of the arm, and which, when in use, travels in alongitudinal channel, 7;, in tube 0. The upper side of the arm a, whichconnects the axial pin and ejector-tube, is so constructed that itconforms in shape to the barrel of the arm to prevent said tube fromswinging out of its normal position. (See Figs. l and 5.) This method ofsupporting the ejector in a given position forms a part of my invention.

To operate my device, bring the hammer to half -coek," when the cylindermay be freely rotated on its axis. Now, by forcing the thumb-piece irearward, the ejector-rod is made to enter one of the chambers of thecylinder, and as it passes through said chamber (as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1) it forces the empty shell out before it. The spiralspring (I, by its expansive force, now carries the ejector-rod forward,and the operation is repeated until the empty shells are removed, thecylinder being rotated by hand to bring the desired chamber into linewith the ejector.

I am aware that an ejector-rod working in a tube fixed rigidly to thebarrel or frame of an arm, and held forward in said tube bya spiralspring,is not new,and I do not therefore broadly claim such a device;but I am not aware of an ejector-rod within a tube formed as a rigidpart of the removable axial pin; and

I therefore claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent- Incombination with a revolver frame and ing (when in place) inlongitudinal alignmentcylinder, a removable axial pin having sewith thechambers of the cylinder, all arranged cured to its outer end, or formedas an intesubstantially as and for the purpose specified. 1o

gral part thereof, a tubeeontaining a spring- SAMUEL S. HOPKINS. 5pressed ejeetor rod whose forward end has a WVitnesses:

flange by means of which said rod may be JOHN E. \VARNER,

forced rearward, the tube and ejector-rod be- CHAS. H. PRESTON.

